Temporary support for artificial teeth



7 Feb. 8, 1944. s, MTYERSQN 2,341,154

TEMPORARY SUPPORT FOR ARTIFICIAL TEETH Filed Aug. 26, 19 40 v 31. Ill/11111111 Patentecl Feb. 8, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TEMPORARY SUPPORT FOR ARTIFICIAL TEETH Simon Myerson, Brookline, Mass.

Application August 26, 1940, Serial No. 354,205

12 Claims.

This invention pertains to dentistry and relates more particularly to a temporary supporting device for artificial teeth, designed for use in observing the effect of such teeth in a persons mouth before the teeth are permanently fixed in a denture, the present application being a continuation-in-part of the copending application of Simon Myerson, Serial No. 313,077, for Tooth holder, filed January 9, 1940. In said app tion there is disclosed a tooth holder designed temporarily to hold a group of artificial teeth, for example, six anterior teeth, in a manner such as in a general way to simulate the appearance of teeth permanently mounted in a denture or in the natural gum, and, at the same time, to constitute a practical shipping card for transmission of the teeth to the dental laboratoy or dentist, as well as to constitute an acceptable mount for displaying the teeth for ready observation. Said application also discloses, broadly, certain forms of attaching devices operative temporarily to support the holder, with its complement of teeth, within the patients mouth so that the dentist may observe the teeth, if desired, from a distance.

The present invention relates more especially to such supporting or attaching means, one object of the invention being the provision of a supporting appliance including means operative temporarily to secure the holder to another part, for instance to the roof of a persons mouth. A further object of the invention is to provide an appliance comprising attaching means having provision whereby the row of teeth may be adjusted so as to occupy that position in the mouth at which they appear to the best advantage.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be made manifest in the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the tooth holder of the present invention, showing six anterior teeth mounted therein;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation showing the tooth holder of Fig. I mounted upon a shipping and display card of improved construction;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the shipping and display card of Fig. l but omitting the toothholding device;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 56 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing the tooth holder of the present invention mounted upon a desirable form of attaching means and arranged in position for observation within a patients mouth;

Fig. 8 is a plan view, to larger scale, of the attaching means whereby the tooth holder is so held in position in the mouth;

Fig. 9 is a section, partly in elevation, on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a section on the line Iil-lfi of Fig. 8;

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 but illustrating a modified construction;

Fig. 12 is a front elevation of the suction-cup supporting member of Fig. 9, the cup being broken away;

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a modification;

Fig. 14 is a side elevation, partly in vertical section, illustrating an appliance specifically designed to support a single artificial tooth for observation;

Fig. 15 is a perspective view, to large scale, showing details of the supporting appliance illustrated in Fig. 14; and

Fig. 16 is a plan view similar to Fig. 3 but illustrating a modification.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral i designates a novel and desirable tooth-holding device of the kind disclosed. in the above-named application of Simon Myerson. This tooth holder I may be made of any suitable material, for instance hard rubber or gum-colored metal and may comprise one or more parts, but the preferred construction consists of an integral mass of a synthetic resin. Resins derived from methacryllic acid have been found particularly desirable for dental work.

As more particularly illustrated, by way of eX- ample, in Figs. 2 and 3, this holder is curved in horizontal section substantially like the human gum ridge and comprises the rear portion 2 and a front portion or apron 3.

While the holder is here shown as curved, a straight or concave holder (otherwise like that illustrated) is useful as a support for teeth during shipment. The rear and front portions, 2 and 3 respectively, are integrally joined at the upper edge 4 of the holder, said upper edge being properly shaped to fit between the gum ridge and the inner surface of the patients lip. The parts 2 and 3 diverge downwardly from the upper part of the holder, thereby providing a socket cavity which may be a single elongate horizontal groove extending from one end to the other of the holder, or, if preferred, this groove may be divided to form a plurality of independent sockets. When hereinafter reference is made to this feature of the device, it should be understood that the term socket or chamber is intended to designate either a single groove for the reception of a series of teeth or to indicate an arrangement in which independent sockets for the several teeth are employed. This socket, cavity, chamber or groove is designed to receive toothattaching means, for instance a body 5 of dental wax (usually thermoplastic) into which the gingival ends of the teeth 7 may be pressed so that the teeth will be held removably in desired position within the holder by the retaining action of this wax. Preferably the socket chamber is of such dimensions as will permit the body of wax to embed the usual attaching pins 6 of the teeth so as thereby to furnish a very secure anchorage. As here illustrated, the teeth are of a novel and improved type wherein the incisal portion is of relatively greater transparency than the upper or body portion, and in which striasimulating inserts, and in some instances simulated fillings, are incorporated.

The teeth I are mounted, as just stated, with their gingival portions sunk or embedded in the body 5 of wax in the socket chamber, and in order to simulate the appearance of the human gum, the front surface of the gum simulating part or apron 3 is properly colored and configured, and has its lower part tapered downwardly and provided with a plurality of arcuate recesses for the reception of the necks of the individual teeth. The portions of the apron which separate these recesses form cusps 9 which intervene between adjacent teeth. Preferably the wax 5 is of a thermoplastic character such that it may be softened by the application of heat and when allowed to cool hardens again. Thus the teeth may be embedded in the wax while the latter is soft and become firmly fixed in the holder when the wax hardens, although they may be removed individually when desired.

The holder I has a rearwardly extending integral lug or boss In which, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 6, is furnished with an opening or slot H for the reception of an attaching key or pin as hereinafter more fully described, the lug It! also constituting means for engagement by a clamping device forming part of the supporting appliance or attaching means now to be described.

Referring to Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 12, this attaching means comprises a clamping block l2 having an opening I3 into which the lug H) of the holder may be fitted. As shown in Figs. 2 and 10, the lug and the opening l3 are of substantially rectangular contour so that when the lug is fitted in the opening the holder cannot tip sidewise. The block I2 is furnished with a transverse passage intersecting the opening I3 and in which is disposed a pivot pin M. This pivot pin may be arranged loosely in the passage or it may be of flexible material and is engaged at its central part by a clamping screw I5 having a knurled head H. This clamping screw !5 engages a screwthreaded opening in the block l2 and when it is turned, it may be caused to bear against the center'part of the pin [4 so as to clamp the latter against the lug l9 and thus secure the holder to the block l2 and at the same time, prevent the block l2 from turning about the pin I l as a pivot. The pin I4 projects beyond the opposite sides of the block l2 and to its opposite ends l6 and H are secured the forward ends of a pair of wire rods 58 and 19 (Fig. 8), respectively, constituting elements of a bracket by means of which the block 12 may be attached to a support. The

members l8 and I9 project rearwardly and comprise substantially parallel portions 20 and 2| whose rear ends pass freely through openings in the wall of a substantially cylindrical cup-support 22 (Fig. 9). This cup support is elongate and tubular and closed at one end. The support 22 is provided with an external boss 23 upon which is mounted a suction cup 24 of soft rubber or the like which is designed for adhesive engagement with an inner surface of the patients mouth, for example, the mucous membrane of the hard palate indicated at 25 in Fig. 7. When the parts are thus disposed, the gum ridge 26 fits closely against the rear surface of the rear part 2 of the holder I.

Within the tubular cup-support 22 there are arranged three loose pins 21, 28 and 29, respectively, (Fig. 9). The opposed ends of adjacent pins are shaped to provide pairs of clamping jaws between which are disposed the parts 25! and 21, respectively. The pin 29 projects beyond the open end of the support 20 and its outer end 30 engages the inner surface of a screw-threaded cap 3 l which is screwed onto the end of the support 22. When the cap 3| is partly unscrewed it leaves the pins 21, 28 and 29 free to separate, thus permitting the rods 20 and 2| to slide freely with reference to the support 22. The openings in the wall 22 through which the rods 20 and 2| pass are elongate circumferentially of the support (Fig. 12) so that the support may pivot about the axis provided by the pins 21, 28 and 29. In the same way, the block I2 is free to pivot about the pin it when the clamping screw 15 is loosened. Moreover, when screw 15 is loosened the boss [0 may be adjusted longitudinally within the opening l3. The tightening of the screw l5 locks the block 42 both against pivoting and against sliding on the boss l0. Obviously, balland-socket joints may be substituted for the connections herein specifically illustrated, whereby the bracket is adjustably united to the holder and/or the cup-support, respectively.

In Fig. 11 a modified arrangement is shown wherein the boss W of the tooth holder is of circular transverse section instead of rectangular. The opening in the block I2 which receives the boss w is curved in contour but in other respects the arrangement is generally similar to that of Fig. 10, and when the clamping screw I5 is tightened, the block is prevented from pivoting on the block M, and the boss Ill of the holder is prevented from sliding in the block.

When the holder I is secured to the supporting or attaching means illustrated in Figs. 8 to 12, it may be placed in the patients mouth and temporarily suspended and firmly held in place by the attaching means including the suction cup 24. By reason of the several adjustments provided, the holder may be disposed at the proper position in the mouth regardless of the size of the mouth or the position of the gum ridge and without distorting the lips, and when so arranged the teeth may be observed by the dentist and by the patient with the aidof a mirror, from a distance if desired. The dentist and patient may thus obtain an accurate idea of the appearance that the teeth would have if permanently mounted in a denture. Since the teeth I are removably secured in the holder I, it is possible (if the dentist does not like the appearance of the teeth when first tried in the patients mouth) to remove the entire holder and substitute another having a differing set of teeth, or he may remove individual teeth from a holder and replace them with other teeth, or rearrange them in the holder so as to obtain the most desirable effects and those most closely resembling the appearance of the patients own natural teeth. When the dentist has thus determined, by trial, the form, color and size of tooth which gives the best efiects and how they should be best arranged, he may then employ the assemblage which has thus been found to give the best result, in making up the denture in which may be permanently fixed the same teeth which have been tried and found satisfactory when arranged in the holder.

As illustrated in Figs. 14 and 15, a single tooth T is arranged with its pin or pins t embedded in a mass of wax '5 within a socket cavity in a holder 5& (preferably a horizontally flattened tube) having secured thereto an attaching bracket [53 to which is fixed the suction cup 26 by means of which the appliance may be temporarily held in the mouth. instead of filling the part 58 with wax for the reception of the pins of a single tooth, the part in may be made of such dimensions as to receive the lug ll! of the holder 1, preferably with a sliding fit, so that the holder may be adjusted longitudinally of the part [8 The arrangement of Fig. thus provides a somewhat simpler type of support for the holder than that previously described.

As illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the holder i constitutes very desirable means for shipping teeth in sets to the dentist or to the dental laboratory, since the holder presents the set of teeth so furnished by the manufacturer in a natural appearing arrangement which greatly facilitates the work of the dentist or dental laboratory in selecting a set of teeth proper for a given condition.

As pointed out above, and as shown particularly in Fig. 3, the holder l is curved in horizontal section so as to conform to the curvature of the human jaw. In order to support this holder for shipment and display, it is desirable to employ a card or support such as illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. This card consists of a thick piece of cardboard, fiber board, or a moldable plastic such as hard rubber, synthetic resin, or the like, although it is contemplated that it may be made of sheet metal. This card is shown of substantially rectangular contour and has a cavity 33 in its front face which, as illustrated in Fig. 6, has a rearwardly and downwardly sloping rear wall 35 against which the end portions of the hodler i abut when the holder is mounted on the card and within the cavity 33. The card 32 is provided with an aperture 36 extending through the rear wall of the cavity 33 and of such shape as to permit the boss it oi the holder to pass through to the rear side of the card. Preferably to save material and to cut down the weight, the card is hollow or provided with a cavity 35 at its rear side. The boss iii is of a length such that it does not project beyond the rear plane of the card. However, it does project into the cavity 35, and the holder may be secured temporarily to the card by means of a key or pin 3'! (Fig. 6) which may be pushed into the opening it of the boss it, or by an equivalent clip or other fastener engaging the outer surface of the lug, thus locking the holder in place. With this arrangement the card 32 provides substantial protection for the holder during shipment, the card being of rigid material and the cavity 33 partially housing the holder. Likewise the card provides convenient means by which the holder with its complement of teeth may be placed in position for observation or display.

In Fig. 13, the attaching lug Hi is shown as a separate element, for instance a length of flexible metal, having one end embedded in the substance of the holder, its projecting portion being designed to pass through an aperture in the card and to be bent over at the rear side of the latter, as well as providing means for engagement by the clamping device of the supporting appliance.

In Fig. 16 a further modified form of holder I is illustrated, such holder being in general similar to the holder i above described but having extensions i3 reaching around to the molar region of the mouth, and which may constitute supports for molar teeth 52 and also for elongate suction cups &3 designed to engage the molar region of the gum and thus to afford additional attaching means for temporarily retaining the holder in the mouth.

While as herein specifically illustrated by Way of example, the teeth are shown as upper teeth, and in describing the teeth and holder, such terms as upper and lower" may have been used, it is to be understood that all such expressions have been employed merely for convenience in description and without limiting intent, and that the appliance herein claimed is intended for use with lower teeth as well as for use with upper teeth.

While certain desirable embodiments of the invention have herein been illustrated and-described, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to these particular embodiments, but is to be regarded as broadly inclusive of all modified constructions, substitutio-ns of material, and variation in arrangement of parts which fall within the scope of the annexed claims.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture and sale a holder adapted to receive artificial teeth for individual adjustment and removal manually, said holder being substantially rigid and comprising an anterior gum-simulating portion, said gumsimulating portion having an anterior wall, means on said holder serving to secure individual teeth to the holder with the necks of the teeth posterior to the lower margin of said anterior wall for manual individual adjustment, removal and replacement without injuring the holder, and a support for the holder including means operative removably to attach the support to a surface of the mouth.

2. As an article of manufacture and sale a holder adapted to receive artificial teeth for individual adjustment and removal manually, said holder being substantially rigid and comprising an anterior gum-simulating portion, said gumsimulating portion having an anterior wall, means on said holder serving to secure individual teeth to the holder with the necks of the teeth posterior to the lower margin of said anterior wall for manual individual adjustment, removal and replacement without injuring the holder, and holder supporting means comprising a suction cup engageable with an inner surface of the mouth.

3. As an article of manufacture and sale a holder adapted to receive artificial teeth for individual adjustment and removal manually, said holder being substantially rigid and comprising an anterior gum-simulating portion, said gumsimulating portion having an anterior wall, means'on said holder serving to secure individual teeth to the holder with the necks of the teeth posterior to the lower margin of said anterior wall for manual individual adjustment, removal and replacement without injuring the holder, and adjustable retaining means for temporarily supporting the holder within the mouth, thereby to permit observation of the teeth between the parted lips.

4. As an article of manufacture and sale a holder adapted to receive artificial teeth for individual adjustment and removal manually, said holder. being substantially rigid and comprising an anterior gum-simulating portion, said gumsimulating portion having an anterior wall, means on said holder serving to secure individual teeth to the holder with the necks of the teeth posterior to the lower margin of said anterior wall for manual individual adjustment, removal and replacement without injuring the holder, the holder including an attaching element designed to be passed through an aperture in a supporting card, thereby temporarily to secure the holder to the card.

5. As an article of manufacture and sale a holder adapted to receive artificial teeth for individual adjustment and removal manually, said holder being substantially rigid and comprising an anterior gum-simulating portion, said gumsimulating portion having an anterior wall, means on said holder serving to secure individual teeth to the holder with the necks of the teeth posterior to the lower margin of said anterior wall for manual individual adjustment, removal and replacement without injuring the holder, the holder comprising a part constructed and arranged for attaching it to a supporting bracket.

6. As an article of manufacture and sale, an appliance for temporarily supporting artificial teeth in the mouth for observation, said appliance including a holder adapted to receive artificial teeth for individual adjustment, removal and replacement manually, said holder being a unitary mass of synthetic resin and normally substantially rigid and shape-retaining, means on the holder serving to secure individual teeth to the holder for manual individual adjustment, removal and replacement without injuring or distorting the holder, said securing means including a plastic material on the holder which softens at a lower temperature than the material of the holder, and supporting means for the holder including means operative removably to attach the holder to an inner surface of the mouth with the rear surface of the holder fitting against the gum ridge.

'7. As an article of manufacture and sale, an appliance for temporarily supporting artificial teeth in the mouth for observation, said appliance including a holder adapted to receive artificial teeth for individual adjustment, removal and replacement manually, said holder being normally substantially rigid and shape-retaining, the lingual side of the holder having a smoothly curved and contoured surface for engagement with the gum ridge, means on the holder serving to secure individual teeth to the holder for manual individual adjustment, removal and replacement without injuring or distorting the holder, said securing means including a plastic material on the holder which softens at a lower temperature than the material of the holder, and supporting means for the holder including means operative removably to attach the holder to an inner surface of the mouth with the lingual surface of the holder fitting against the gum ridge.

8. As an article of manufacture and sale, an appliance for temporarily supporting artificial teeth in the mouth for observation, said appliance including a holder adapted to receive artificial teeth for individual adjustment, removal and replacement manually, said holder being normally substantially rigid and shape-retaining, the lingual side of the holder having a smoothly curved surface for direct engagement with the crest and labial surface of the gum ridge, the upper part of the holder being shaped for interposition between the gum ridge and the lip, means on the holder serving to secure individual teeth to the holder for manual individual adjustment, removal and replacement without injuring or distorting the holder, the holder having a transversely elongate channel at its labial side, said channel extending upwardly to a point substantially above the crest of the gum ridge when the holder is in operative position, the securing means including a plastic material disposed within said channel and which softens at a lower temperature than the material of the holder, the supporting means for the holder including means operative removably to suspend the holder from an inner surface of the mouth with the lingual side of the holder fitting against the gum ridge.

9. As an article of manufacture and sale, an appliance for temporarily supporting artificial teeth in the mouth for observation, said appliance including a holder adapted to receive artificial teeth for individual adjustment and removal manually, said holder being normally substantially rigid and shape-retaining, a transversely elongate body of plastic on the holder serving to secure individual teeth to the holder for manual individual adjustment, removal and replacement without injuring or distorting the holder, and holder-supporting means comprising an element, operative by adhesive engagement with an inner surface of the mouth posterior to the gum ridge, to suspend the holder in operative position.

10. As an article of manufacture and sale, an appliance for temporarily supporting an artificial tooth in the mouth for observation, said appliance including a holder adapted to receive an artificial tooth for adjustment and removal manually, said holder being of unitary one-piece construction and normally substantially rigid and having a transversely elongate cavity containing a thermoplastic material serving to secure the tooth to the holder for manual individual adjustment, removal or replacement without injuring or distorting the holder, and holder-supporting means comprising a suction cup engageable with a surface of the mouth posterior to the gum ridge.

11. As an article of manufacture and sale, an appliance for temporarily supporting an artificial tooth in the mouth for observation, said appliance including a holder adapted to receive an artificial tooth for adjustment, or removal manually, said holder being normally substantially rigid and of horizontally flattened tubular form open at its forward end and having therein a transversely elongate chamber for the reception of a body of dental wax operative to secure the individual tooth to the holder for manual individual adjustment, removal or replacement without injuring or distorting the holder, and supporting means for the holder designed to be located wholly within the mouth when the appliance is in use, the supporting means including! an element operative by adhesive engagemen; with an intra-oral surface removably to suspend the holder in operative position.

12. As an article of manufacture and sale, an appliance for temporarily supporting artificial teeth in the mouth for observation, said appli ance including a holder adapted to receive artificial teeth for individual adjustment and removal manually, the holder being a unitary mass 10 of moulded organic material and normally substantially rigid, a body of dental wax carried by the holder and operative to secure the individual teeth to the holder for manual independent adjustment, removal and replacement without injuring or distorting the holder, the holder comprising a part constructed and arranged for removably attaching it to an intra-oral supporting bracket.

SIMON MYERSON. 

